The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-12-18
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

that makes its sudden appearance In the second
act Of "Madelon" when the Frondeists build q barri-
cade. It il an interesting evidence Of good stage man.
agement, for the speed and unfailing regularity with
which tho chorsters trundlo cartA boxes barrels and
furniture upon the stage and pils them so securely to-
Gether that tho military can mount the heap In safety
could only be accomplished by n rigid System under
which every person from principal to super knows ex-
actly what 10 do, when to do 1t, and where to place the
property he il to handle. "Madelon " il enjoying the
usual Casino succesA and when that 10 said all IL said.
This week of German opera at the Metropolitan will
be notable. for on Friday evening weber's "Euryanthe"
will be heard for the first time in America. 1t 10 singular
that this opera has had to wait longer than q half cen.
tury before gaining q hearing hero. II is a work which
the worlds greatest critics have agreed In pronounciug
q masterpieces. schumann, Liszt and Wagner admired
It immensely. and its popularity all over Europe has
been undiminishsd since the passing Of the Rossini
craze. Perhaps tho fact that German opera was tenn
porarily ebscured by the wild enthusiasm for Rossini
and the italian school soon after "Euryanthe" was pro.
ducsd. accounts for tho delay In bringing weber's
greatest work to America 1t can hardly fail to meet
grea. success here, asi is certain that Director stanton's
company will give 1t the best possible Interpretations.
Several Of is important numbers are familiar and uni
versallv popular as concert piecss but some Of the most
effective selections arc entirely unknown. The cast in
cludes Elmblad as King Lpd,Dto, Alvary as AdOtdr
Fischer as Lpstdr Lehman as Eurvdnths and Brandt
as Eoldnttne. The story is n romantic one, and does not
end In the frightful tragedy common to grand opera.
Eurydnthe is betrothed to AdOlar. Her friend. Byzantine,
is q secret rival who persuades Adodr that his intended
bride has been false to him. Determined to STAY her. he
leads her to a mountain pass where they arc attacked
by o great serpent Eurydnthe, to save her lover. puts
herself In the %serpent's way. This so touches Adotdr
that he stays his hand, but leaves her to perish.
King Lud,cio and suite appear Just in time to save
her. and all matters are eventually explained to tho hap
piness of Adotdr and E,uTdnthe, and the death Of Eglan-
tine and her ~compli Lvstdrt The first performance
Of thus opera was at Vienna on Oct Is, 1928. 1t had the
usual strange experience Of great musical works in fail
ing to please its early audiences Its progress to popu.
iarity waS however, moro rapid than, for instance, in
the case OF wagners opera
The excellent performance of "The Trumpoter" has
made 1t a strong card for this season. II will DO given
twice this weeE-Monday evening and Saturday after.
noon. Wednesday evening will have It's own special in
terest In tho performance of " Tannhauser." Altogether
the programme for the week is very strong. The full
capacity OF the great house win undoubtedly be taxed at
each performance.
Tho interest In little Josef Hofmann's performances
increases the longer he stays here, and Mr.. Abbey. in
announcing three more concerts by the young master.
10 assured Of overlooking houses. The first OF this now
series will occur next Thursday evening, at the Metro
poiitan. A MATINEE performance at tho same place will
be given at 3 O'Clock. Tuesday. Dec. p. The last will DO
on Saturday evening, Dec. 81. AZ all Of these Nine.
II astreiter and the other artists in tho troupe will ap-
pear, M also the orchestra, under Mr.. Neuendorn.
Heinrich BoeteL who has had q remarkably successful
engagement at the ThAlia during several weeks past will
appear ut q farewell benefit on Tuesday evening. Meyer.
beers e Iiuguenots' will be given. 1t Is in this opera
that Boetel appears to the best advantage. Mathiide
Cot,reily begins the last week OF her engagement at the
ITALIA with 1.-The Bat" OIL Monday. Wednesday she
will sing in Tho ssainstress." Thursday in Turtle
Dove" ant. Friday and Saturday will see Goldfish"
and A Drop Of Poison respectively.
Nine. Guilia valda has so modified her plans that she
will remain in this country during the season. She will
ain 4 rnneart undar thu nanauamepf - Heprv Wolf
Bohn.
In the audience at the Metropolitan last Monday even.
ing, when The JeweS" was performed, was an old
gentleman who appeared to take the greatest interest
in tho performance. When II was over he said II
heard that opera in Germany nifty years ago. and 1t
made so deep an impression on me that I could never
forget 1t though ] have not seen II SINCE until this even
ing. But this performance SO far surpaslss the first that
II seems almost like q new opera They never used to
SINS It SO dramatically in the old days, and not quarter
Of the care WAS devoted to spectacular effect and other
accessories that help to fssten q mans attention upon
the terrible tragedy of the story"
An alleged daughter Of Liszt has made her appearance
In Paris. She claims that her mother 10 ayoyal person.
age, and therefore koeps her name secret The young
lady, 1t need not be said, contsmplatss q tour Of the
world AZ u public pianist
It 10 . curious fact that few poets have any liking for
music. Some Of those who arc most clever In writing
verses for songs are entirely dead TO . sense Of harmony,
and have only = dim comprehension OF melody. Mra
Ella wheeler Wilcox for instance, not only does not
enjoy music, but is actually disturbed by It. 1t would
seem that wagner's idea that the composer should bs
his own verse maker is on ideal hard to realize. He
himself 10 the only eminent example OF the combination.
and the greatest song writers, Schubert, Schumsnn, and
Franz all drew upon the works OF poets who knew little
or nothing OF music.
Munczi LsjoS who has concluded his loug engagement
At the Eden Ausse. viii appear In . special concert at
Chickering ball to morrow evening.
The Young Peoples Matinees at steinway Hall are DO
coming not only popular but important musical events
At the fourth, TO be given next Saturday, there will DO
three novslheA one by an American composer. Mr. Fred.
eric Grant Gleason. This number will DO a prelude 10
"otho visconh," Tho other new pieces will be Nh over.
ture by Hermann C~raedener and q suite by John Charles
lietzsl Lisz,s Hungarian Rhapsody" and the theme
and variations from schubert's ID minor Qusrtete will be
given "by request" A most interesting number will DO
q clarinet concerto by Carl Baermsnn. performed by Jo-
ssf schreurl Besides other popular pieces the overture
10 "Tsnnhsuser :" viii DO played